Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-02-08
PRETTY FACES MASKED.

Merry Women And Men At Th,
Grand Masked Ball of The Cit,
Guards-The Affair A Great success
Financially And Socially Tn,
Prizes Awarded.
The grand concert and masquerade of tn,
| City Guards took place last night at ths
Union armory. The big building was fairly
radiant with the glitter of the electric lighti
and thousand bright eyes but lily con
cealed by dainty masks. The grand march
began soon after $50 O'Clock and was led by
Charles F. Smith in the garb of a herald, fol
lowed by ten knights drawing elaborate
chariot in which were seated the prince and
princess of the carnival, August Smith and
Miss Pauline Goebel. The escort consisted
of twenty members of the committees who
were attired in costumes representing tie
time of Henry ". of France. Fully two
thousand people were in the armory when
the dancing began. Seldom has more sue
cessful masked ball been given in the city.
Only persons wearing masks were allowed
on the floor. The many hun
dreds of sinuous figures gliding
about the waxen floor, in consonance with
the dreamy voluptuous strains of Rossini
and Gounod, presented a lovely sight indeed
and one which filled the eye with pleasure.
The Second regiment band furnished excel
lent music. The galleries were crowded with
onlookers and dancers resting to renew par
ticipation il the dance. The rays from the
big electric lights played upon the variegated
costumes of the costumed occupants and re-
vealed the charms of the beautiful dancers
on the floor below. 1t was exactly midnight
when the master of ceremonies gave the sig
nal for the announcing of the prizes. A
hush of expectancy fell upon the
immense crowd. The many scores
of handsomely attired knights, clowns,
maids of honor, gypsies, harlequins and
every species of humanity that it is possible
to contemplate made a rush for the center of
the floor after the pause to listen to the
awarding of the prizes. The handsomest
dressed lady was generally conceded to be
Miss George Schaffer and she was awarded
$40 in gold. For the most grotesque Co.'S
tune the fat two-faced boy, whose name
could not be learned, was awarded the prize
of So in gold For the most characteristic
costume the ragged and drunken tramp took
the So prize. The prize for the most conf
cal group was awarded the Mikado group. 1t
also amounted to So.
Many of the fair women in masks and
dominoes and the almost innumerable crowd
of men then unmasked and wendell their way
to the supper room adjoining the Horse
Guards parlors. Divers species of fantastic
pleasures were INDUCED during the intermis-
sion, while supper was being served. After
the intermission the festivities were rendered
with redoubled vigor. It was in the galop
that the graceful forms of the dancers were
seen to the best advantage, and their
skill in the terpsichorean art displayed,
and it was through the galops that the
coterie of musicians put on their most deli
cate touches, and female loneliness was most
diffusive. The festivities were kept up until
q late hour, and when the merry company
was dissolved, one and al, declared the grand
masquerade and carnival of the City Guards
the most enjoyable fair of its kind they ever
attandad